Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin & Kelly Demand EPA Block Southeast Chicago Company from Exposing Children to Brain Damage
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) are requesting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take immediate action to stop a company on the Southeast Side of Chicago from releasing unsafe levels of a known neurotoxin into the air in violation of the Clean Air Act. The Members of Congress are also asking the EPA to work with an un-biased, third-party engineering firm to audit Watco Transloading to … Continue Reading
February 21, 2019
Duckworth Celebrates Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute Anniversary, Continued DoD Funding
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), UI Labs CEO Caralynn Collens and Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) Executive Director Chandra Brown to celebrate the five-year anniversary of UI Labs' initial cooperative agreement to launch DMDII and announce continued funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Duckworth and Durbin supported … Continue Reading
February 20, 2019
Duckworth, Daines, Warren Introduce Bipartisan Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in introducing the Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act to help ensure new parents have access to clean and private lactation rooms when visiting federal buildings around the nation. The legislation builds on the success of Duckworth's FAM Act, which was signed into law last year and ensures all large- and medium-sized airports have lactation rooms for new … Continue Reading
February 19, 2019
Duckworth Helps Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve VA Care for Women Veterans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Boozman (R-AR) and 24 of their Senate colleagues today in reintroducing the Deborah Sampson Act to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services and access for women Veterans. Women are the fastest growing group of Veterans, but many VA facilities don't have the ability to provide equitable care or services to women Veterans. This bipartisan legislation would … Continue Reading
February 17, 2019
Duckworth: Trump’s Decision to Steal Funds from Military & National Defense is Harmful to Our Country
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - This morning, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Martha Raddatz on ABC's This Week to discuss how the President's decision to declare a national emergency to try to fulfill a campaign promise is a reckless abuse of power and how stealing funds that Congress allocated for critical defense projects is harmful to our country. Video of the interview is available here. Key Excerpts: "(This is) just a fulfillment of a campaign promise that he hasn't been able to keep. … Continue Reading
February 15, 2019
Duckworth, Hirono and Takano Introduce Legislation to Prevent Atrocities Like Mass Japanese American Incarceration From Repeating
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In advance of the next week's Day of Remembrance recognizing the incarceration of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA-41), introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 to establish a clear legal prohibition against un-American policies that seek to imprison American citizens on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sex, gender … Continue Reading
February 15, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Seal Order of Sterigenics
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's (IEPA) decision to issue a Seal Order on Willowbrook, Illinois-based Sterigenics, Inc.: We support the IEPA taking strong action. Ethylene oxide emissions from Sterigenics and the lack of oversight by the U.S. EPA have created a public health emergency that threatened the well-being and safety of Willowbrook, the … Continue Reading
February 15, 2019
Durbin & Duckworth Voice Concerns About Trump Administration Siding with Predatory Payday Loan Sharks Over Consumers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined a group of 47 Senators in opposing the latest attempt under Trump Administration leadership to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) payday lending rule. In a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger, Durbin and Duckworth outlined how eliminating the key protections of the rule will allow the payday lending industry to prey on vulnerable American consumers. The letter was signed by every … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Duckworth: Trump Administration’s Attack on Clean Water Rule Harms Health of American Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced a proposal that would roll back the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule under the Clean Water Act of 1972. Duckworth is the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife. "This decision by the Trump Administration threatens access to … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Duckworth Statement on Vote to Prevent Another Government Shutdown
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After voting for a bipartisan compromise government funding bill to avoid another partial government shutdown, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "While this bipartisan deal is not perfect, it prevents another wasteful and unnecessary government shutdown that would hurt our economy and hold the paychecks of hundreds of thousands of government employees and contractors hostage. In fact, instead of forcing federal workers and their … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Cosponsored Anti-Lynching Legislation Passes Senate Unanimously
[Washington, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) in cosponsoring the bipartisan Justice for Victims of Lynching Act. Previously, Senators Harris, Booker and Scott introduced similar legislation in the 115th Congress that passed the Senate unanimously but was not considered by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives at the time. "Those who forget their history are … Continue Reading
February 13, 2019
Duckworth Highlights National Security Value of Diplomacy, American Alliances in Asia at Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday, U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the importance of alliances in the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) region with INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Philip S. Davidson. Duckworth questioned the admiral on the recent Asia Reassurance Initiative Act and how it will affect U.S. relations in the region, particularly with the Republic of Korea and Japan. Duckworth also discussed the … Continue Reading
February 13, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin, Foster, Lipinski, Schneider & Casten Ask EPA to Take Immediate Actions to Protect Illinoisans from Sterigenics’ Cancer-Causing Emissions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) and Sean Casten (D-IL-06), asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take immediate steps to protect the community surrounding Sterigenics in Willowbrook, Illinois from the public health threat posed by its cancer-causing ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions. In a letter to Acting EPA Administrator … Continue Reading
February 13, 2019
Duckworth Receives Waterways Council’s 18th Annual Leadership Service Award for Her Efforts to Modernize America’s Infrastructure
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Last night, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) received the 18th Annual Waterways Council Leadership Service Award for her work advancing bipartisan infrastructure projects and championing America's waterways. Upon accepting the award, Duckworth spoke on the vital role our inland waterways play bolstering our nation's security and economy. Photos of the event can be found here. "We're in a race for economic dominance in the world. And the Council's work-our … Continue Reading
February 13, 2019
Duckworth, Ruiz Introduce Bipartisan Legislation Supporting Families of Fallen First Responders
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz (CA-36), along with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced bipartisan legislation today to increase the death benefits for families of fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. The First Responders Survivors Support Act will increase the Public Safety Officers' Benefit … Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth, Schneider, Foster, Lipinski, Casten Introduce Bills to Hold EPA Accountable For Poor Oversight of Ethylene Oxide Emissions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), and Sean Casten (D-IL-06), today introduced a pair of bicameral bills that would hold the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accountable for its poor oversight of ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions, which have been the source of harmful emissions in Illinois. Durbin and Schneider led the introduction of a … Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Senate Passes Duckworth & Durbin Bill to Expand the Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation today that was introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to honor the legacy of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, by expanding the Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois to include Livingston County, the city of Jonesboro in Union County and the city of Freeport in Stephenson County. The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Amendment Act, which passed the Senate as … Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Help Reintroduce Paid Family & Medical Leave Legislation
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and 32 of their colleagues today in reintroducing the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act. The legislation would establish a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that will provide 12 weeks of paid leave for workers who need time to care for a newborn or adopted child, a seriously ill family member, or their own serious health condition. "Far … Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $5 Million to Improve Rail Speed, Reliability in Southern Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will receive $5,083,719 in federal funding to support the Lenox Interlocking Reconfiguration Project in Madison County, which aims to increase speeds and operational flexibility for both passenger and freight services. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration's Fiscal Year 2017 Consolidated … Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Help Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Repeal Trump Tax Attack on Middle Class Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in helping introduce bipartisan legislation to fully restore the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. The Trump Tax Law of 2017 capped this deduction at $10,000, leading to millions of middle-class Americans being double-taxed. With the beginning of tax-filing season underway, many taxpayers-especially in states like Illinois-are now realizing that they owe significantly … Continue Reading
